5 supplications
Duas against Waswas and Intrusive Thoughts
Waswas, the whispering of Satan, can attack faith, prayer, purification and relationships. The Companions complained of it to the Prophet ﷺ and he gave them short words and a clear method: seek refuge, affirm faith and stop following the thought.
When doubts about faith come
آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ
Amantu billahi wa rusulih.
I believe in Allah and His messengers. Said when Satan whispers “Who created Allah?”, then one stops thinking about it.
Source: Sahih Muslim
When angry
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
A‘udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim.
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the accursed. “I know a word which, if he said it, what he feels would go away.”
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
Against whispers about Allah
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Huwal-awwalu wal-akhiru wadh-dhahiru wal-batin, wa huwa bi-kulli shay’in ‘alim.
He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has knowledge of all things.
Source: Qur’an 57:3; Sunan Abi Dawud
Refuge from the prompting of devils
رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ
Rabbi a‘udhu bika min hamazatish-shayatin, wa a‘udhu bika rabbi an yahdurun.
My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the promptings of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me.
Source: Qur’an 23:97-98
Refuge from hidden shirk
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ
Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a‘lam, wa astaghfiruka lima la a‘lam.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask Your forgiveness for what I do not know.
Source: Musnad Ahmad
The Prophetic cure
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Satan comes to one of you and says: Who created this? Who created that? until he says: Who created your Lord? When he reaches that, let him seek refuge in Allah and stop” (al-Bukhari, Muslim). In another narration he said to say “Amantu billahi wa rusulih” (Muslim). The method is clear: refuse to argue with the thought.
Some Companions told him they found thoughts they would rather burn than speak of. He replied: “That is clear faith” (Muslim), meaning that hating the whisper is a sign of faith, not of disbelief.
Waswas in prayer and wudu
A Companion complained that Satan came between him and his prayer. The Prophet ﷺ told him to seek refuge in Allah and spit lightly to his left three times, and the whispering left (Muslim). For doubts about wudu he said: “Do not leave until you hear a sound or find a smell” (al-Bukhari). Scholars advise people with waswas to ignore doubts after finishing an act of worship.
When waswas becomes obsessive
Allah does not hold a person accountable for thoughts they do not act upon (al-Bukhari, Muslim). Persistent intrusive thoughts may be obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an illness, not a weakness of faith. Seeking treatment from a qualified professional is part of taking the means, alongside dhikr, Qur’an and du‘a.
Practical tips
- Do not argue with the thought: seek refuge and move on.
- Ignore doubts that come after finishing wudu or prayer.
- Keep busy with useful work and good company.
- Read the morning and evening adhkar.
- Consult a professional if thoughts become obsessive.
Duas against Waswas and Intrusive Thoughts: questions and answers
Am I a disbeliever because of bad thoughts about Allah?
No. Hating these thoughts is “clear faith” (Muslim), and Allah forgives what passes in the mind as long as it is not acted upon or spoken.
What do I say when waswas comes in prayer?
“A‘udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim”, with a light spit to the left three times (Muslim).
Should I repeat wudu when I doubt?
No. Certainty is not removed by doubt; continue unless you are sure your wudu was broken (al-Bukhari).